Pinwheel Pulse: Q1 2025

From breaking down barriers to new account activation, to launching new customers through our expanding partnership network, we’re proud to highlight some of the major milestones that have kept Pinwheel at the forefront of innovation in financial technology.

Citadel Direct Deposit Manager is powered by Pinwheel

Security Bank of Kansas City upgrades account onboarding with Pinwheel

We are thrilled to welcome another Jack Henry Banno platform customer, Security Bank of Kansas City (SBKC), to the Pinwheel family.

Pinwheel Partners with MoneyLion to Power Direct Deposit Switching

"We’re excited to partner with MoneyLion to deliver a more seamless and effective direct deposit switching experience,” said Kurtis Lin, CEO & Co-Founder of Pinwheel.

Consumer Banking Sentiment 2025

Q&A with Meriwest Head of Digital Strategy, Gene Fichtenholz

Roster Mentality & Retail Banking

Achieve Primacy Day 1 with the Pinwheel Switch Kit

What is the ultimate definition of primacy? If your answer is “capturing a customer’s direct deposit,” you’re not alone—in a poll during our recent webinar, 83% of attendees agreed. However, Pinwheel data shows that it’s time to evolve our definition of primacy.

Pinwheel Pulse: 2024 Year in Review

From groundbreaking product developments to new partnerships, 2024 has been a banner year for Pinwheel, our partners, and our customers.

Why credit unions have a neighborhood advantage

n an era dominated by digital innovation, physical branches remain relevant—and even essential. While many national financial institutions are doubling down on digital channels and closing branches, 60% of new accounts are still being opened in person. This underscores a critical competitive differentiator for credit unions, who maintain a unique home town advantage.

The Product Pulse

Pinwheel Pulse is where we share recent highlights on our journey to building solutions that drive primacy and unlock the potential of payroll connectivity.

Introducing Bill Navigator

A new and powerful tool for banks to leverage in their battle for primacy.

PreMatch results are In

We began beta testing our groundbreaking new solution for authorizing payroll accounts in Q1 2024. And we’re thrilled to share that the industry’s only 100% credential-less solution that automatically identifies users’ payroll accounts is living up to the hype.

How we achieve the industry’s best conversion rates

Pinwheel Prime’s intelligent waterfall covers 100% of U.S. payroll scenarios and delivers 30% more successful conversions than any other provider in the industry.

Automated direct deposit is powering the next generation of growth for credit unions

Neo-banks like Cash App and Chime have mastered the art of digital onboarding, leveraging automated direct deposit features as a key driver of customer acquisition and long-term engagement. By investing in payroll integrations that deliver a seamless direct deposit enrollment option during onboarding, these fintech giants have grown their actively funded user base at hyper speeds.

Nassau Financial Credit Union Selects Pinwheel As Direct Deposit Switch Partner

Nassau Financial’s mission is to improve the financial well-being of each member in the communities we serve, reflecting the credit union philosophy of "People helping people."

Perpay increases direct deposit conversion rate for eligible users by 2.19x with Pinwheel PreMatch

Implementation of the Pinwheel Prematch feature took Perpay only 3 weeks, after which they saw an immediate performance uplift. For Perpay customers eligible for PreMatch, they saw a 2.19x increase to switch success rate, and an 11% overall switch conversion improvement.

Success rate for EECU’s deposit change feature improves by over 50% after switching to Pinwheel PreMatch

SafeLink expands access to frictionless experiences

In the ever-evolving landscape of banking and fintech, winning the primary banking relationship has never been more difficult. In our recent white paper, Primacy in personalized banking: a moving target, we reveal new consumer insights that emphasize the importance of offering seamless digital experiences to win and keep customers. 

Primacy in personalized banking: A moving target

Learn about changes to consumer behavior that have affected financial institutions' ability to achieve and defend primacy.

Why are consumers on the move?

See what's driving the acceleration of bank switching across generations.

Industry leaders talk consumer bank switching behaviors

Are you curious about the latest behavioral trends in consumer banking? Do you want to know how top financial institutions are adapting to meet evolving customer needs? 

What drives primacy with today’s consumer?

Discover what consumers believe is needed for bank account primacy, and what really motivates them to switch.

The branch of the future

With most banks focusing investments on digital and reducing branch networks, 60% of new accounts are still being opened in branch. For decades, bank branches have been a cornerstone of everyday life in America’s cities and towns. But these days, branches are getting harder and harder to come by. By the end of 2023, the number of bank branches in the U.S.

Giving credit where it’s due

Are credit scores missing the point?Despite the lip service in banking pledging fairness and equity, systemic issues can allow discrimination in extending credit to surface in unexpected ways. One glaring example is the industry’s struggle to underwrite those who have non-traditional career histories or those who make their living through self employment or the gig economy. Whether they need to produce two years’ worth of tax returns or a specific credit score, many financially secure Americans still struggle to present the “right” paperwork. As a result, banks cannot deliver an optimal experience for:

Trust and Verify

Citizens & Pinwheel talk primacy

A conversation with Chris Powell, EVP & Head of Deposits, Citizens Bank and Kurtis Lin, Co-Founder & CEO, Pinwheel. Last month, Pinwheel hosted a webinar with the Consumer Bankers Association to explore our latest research on The Power of Primacy conducted in partnership with The Digital Banking Report. In a discussion moderated by Pinwheel CMO, Crystal Gopman, Chris Powell, EVP and Head of Deposits at Citizens Bank and Pinwheel CEO, Kurtis Lin, delved deep into the challenges banks are facing today as they compete for share of wealth with the modern consumer. 

Be the Amazon of banks  

The next time you’re browsing on your phone, add this idea to your cart: Does your bank need to engage customers less like an overworked teller and more like Amazon?In a climate of exploding technology and regulatory scrutiny, the BAI Banking Outlook: 2024 Trends survey identified the customer digital experience as a top priority for this year, citing technology integration and intuitive platforms as the pathways to engagement that’s personal, frictionless – and even somewhat fun. But as you know, fraud mitigation and other protocols can introduce drag and result in user drop-off. “Somewhat unfairly, customers measure their bank’s digital delivery of services against the practices of world-class online retailers,” the survey concludes. 

Enhancing digital trust: Inside Pinwheel's commitment to security

Ensuring Digital Security in the rapidly evolving digital world, the importance of security cannot be overstated. As the Chief Information Security Officer at Pinwheel, I'm at the forefront of our battle against digital threats. Our mission is clear: to safeguard our clients' data with the most robust security measures available. This dedication is embodied in our two flagship products: Pinwheel Core and Pinwheel Prime.

Who’s making money moves in 2024?

Are your new customer acquisition goals higher than ever in 2024? Yes? Then, you’re on trend. Late last year, the BAI surveyed 102 financial services organizations to gain insights for the coming year. The findings of the study, the BAI 2024 Banking Outlook, placed customer acquisition in the top two priorities—just behind deposit growth—for bankers. Coming in third? You can probably guess. Enhanced digital banking experiences. And we’re here for it. 

New study confirms direct deposit unlocks primacy

The report highlights a significant disconnect between banks' customer acquisition strategies and consumer behavior. While banks continue to invest heavily in account opening incentives, such as cash bonuses and promotional offers, these efforts often fall short of their intended goal. To the dismay of banks, although they spend high acquisition costs to attract new customers, many of these accounts remain dormant.

Consumer bank switching behavior demystified

My january piece on the offer wars got me thinking: what actually motivates consumers to switch banks? Are rich account opening incentives turning heads, or is our industry missing the mark? To answer this question, we partnered with Savanta research to understand the inner dialogue of a consumer contemplating a new banking relationship.

The metrics you care about the most are now available in real-time

Pinwheel was founded to unlock powerful income data for financial institutions, so that they can better serve their users with more personalized products, driving long term relationships that are proven to deliver better financial outcomes. Introducing the Dashboard Activity Page for Real-Time Engagement Insights.

New Jack Henry partnership makes it easier for community banks to take advantage of Pinwheel

We are thrilled to announce Pinwheel's new strategic partnership with Jack Henry, a leading financial technology company, which gives their customers a fast path to implementation for the industry's top performing Direct Deposit Switching solution. This collaboration is set to revolutionize the digital direct deposit setup experience for accountholders at community and regional financial institutions.

Pinwheel's CMO discusses bank competition for primacy in 2024

Banks rival top brands like Coke and P&G as the highest spending advertisers in the world. And bank marketing teams - channeling their best Cardi B energy - literally make money move with hundreds of millions of dollars at their disposal to hit annual growth goals. While the accounts keep rolling in, there’s a frantic scramble as institutions fumble in their attempts to convert active customers and meaningful engagement through aggressive, unsustainable offers. 

Hear from Pinwheel’s Chief revenue officer on growing profitably in 2024

As the Chief Revenue Officer at Pinwheel, I speak to executives from the world’s top banks every day and I see first hand how rapidly the financial services industry is changing. With approximately 94% of the U.S. population holding bank accounts and a staggering 13 million new accounts opened in 2022, the competitive quest for primacy, or being the primary account for a customer, is more intense than ever. That’s why digital advertising spend is on track to close out 2023 by surpassing $30 billion.

Introducing the next generation of Automated Direct Deposit Switching

Introducing our first-of-its-kind, reimagined automated direct deposit switching experience, expected to at least double end-to-end conversion.

Fraud Fighers Chapter 1: Know Your Fraudster

Know Your Fraudster Q&A with Robert Reynolds

Meet Pinwheel Smart Branch

Learn about how Smart Branch enables a new generation of integrated omnichannel campaigns.

This is how banks close the loop with branch guests: Introducing Pinwheel Smart Branch

Introducing Pinwheel Deposit Switch 2.0, a revolutionary upgrade that maximizes coverage and conversion for every US worker

Deposit Switch 2.0 allows every US worker to update their direct deposit settings regardless of where their direct deposit comes from.

Key factors to consider before implementing a payroll connectivity API

Before integrating a payroll connectivity API, you should evaluate it based on coverage, conversion, implementation, security, and compliance.

Lendly improves its loan servicing with Pinwheel’s support

Enhance credit line management with income data

Demo Video: Pinwheel’s direct deposit switching solution

See your customers’ earnings weeks into the future with projected earnings

How Pinwheel helped Perpay increase conversion by 29%

How to reduce default risk with consumer-permissioned data

Digital lending technologies and trends that are shaping the industry

4 technologies that improve fraud detection in banking

Why automated income verification is a must-have feature for lenders

December product release: 10% increase in conversion, enhanced security and access to pay frequency data

A conversation with our Chief Information Security Officer

Former CFPB Deputy Director Raj Date Joins Pinwheel as an Advisor

Cash flow underwriting: Benefits & how to access cash flow data

Beyond the Credit Score: Propelling consumer finance into the future with income data

Why banks need a payroll connectivity API that prioritizes information security

How alternative credit data can benefit lenders

Tech Spotlight: Implementing your first feature flag

Pinwheel Welcomes New Advisor, Ethan Yeh, to Advance Pinwheel’s Data Science Strategy

Tech spotlight: Securing access control across internal services

Leading wealth management firm partners with Pinwheel to take its wealth-building solutions to the next level

The anatomy and potential of payroll data: Transforming complex data into insights

Beyond the credit score: Propelling consumer finance into the future with income data

Ayokunle (Ayo) Omojola joins Pinwheel’s Board of Directors

Conquering conversion: Engineering practices developed to help customers

Boost your direct deposit strategy with earned wage access

A 12-page guide to leveraging earned wage access (EWA) to incentivize direct deposit switching.

Driving Customer Delight: From implementation and beyond

Pinwheel Supports Open Finance Data Security Standard

How we design Pinwheel to solve real customer problems

What is consumer-permissioned data and what are its benefits?

How payroll data connectivity can help financial service providers in tumultuous market conditions

Pinwheel now supports document uploads to supplement payroll data

Brian Karimi-Pashaki joins Pinwheel as Partnerships Lead

Optimizing for conversion with smarter employer mappings

What are super apps and how will they impact financial services?

Increase conversions and maximize share of wallet with Pinwheel's new UX update

Pinwheel announces support for taxes

Ryan Nier Joins Pinwheel as the Company’s first General Counsel

The ultimate guide to automated direct deposit switching

The future of enabling earned wage access

Deliver earned wage access faster with Pinwheel Earnings Stream

Pinwheel Earnings Stream provides the necessary data and intelligence to reliably offer earned wage access (EWA) at scale.

Digital transformation in banking in 2022: What it means, trends & examples

June product release: Expanded connectivity to employers, a custom experience with Link API and more

How Perpay removed friction from its customer journey using Pinwheel

Pinwheelie Spotlight: LaRena Iocco, Software Engineer

Build fully custom experiences with Pinwheel’s Link API

Pinwheel expands connectivity to 1.5M employers

Robert Reynolds joins Pinwheel as Head of Product

Pinwheel obtains highest security certification in the industry

Lauren Crossett becomes Pinwheel’s first Chief Revenue Officer

Everything you should know about the role of APIs in banking

Open finance: What is it and how does it impact financial services?

How automated direct deposit switching benefits traditional banks

Pinwheel Secure: Authentication optimized for market-leading conversion

Pinwheelie Spotlight: Elena Churilova, Software Engineer, Integrations

May product release: Localization and downloadable pay stubs

How a payroll API can level up lenders and renters

The power of payroll APIs in consumer finance